Chapter 300: The Plan

Yan Huaiwen stepped out and found the village elders near the large boulder. He laid out his entire plan without holding anything back.

Naturally, the old men gave him their full support.

They immediately summoned Master Lu and once again revised the design of the watchtower.

Master Lu listened patiently to their ideas, ran them through his mind a few times, then squatted down to sketch on the ground with a stone. After a while, he stood up and said, “I think I understand what you’re aiming for. Registrar Yan wants to make the staircase inside the watchtower hollow, with a pulley basket installed above to transport goods up and down.”

Yan Huaiwen added, “And people, if necessary.”

“That’s doable,” Master Lu nodded. “But the size of the tower will need to be larger than originally planned. Also, since you want to keep the underground cellar, we can’t follow the previous layout. I suggest we make the cellar smaller, like the interconnected ones the Yan Family uses. That way, it meets your needs without compromising the tower’s structural integrity.”

“If we start construction now, when can it be finished?” Village Chief Luo asked anxiously.

Master Lu: …

You were the ones who said a few days wouldn’t make a difference, and now you’re the ones in a rush to break ground immediately.

“If we have enough manpower, it can be done within the month,” Master Lu estimated.

“Then I’ll gather the workers first thing tomorrow,” Village Chief Luo said decisively. He was a man of action.

Master Lu, still unsure what had prompted the sudden urgency, returned to the Qi Family’s place to continue his work.

“Chief, there’s one more thing,” Yan Huaiwen spoke up again. “Building the watchtower and raising the walls will require a lot of manpower. Even with all the capable folks in the village, some tasks can only be done by skilled hands.”

Old Man Song chimed in, “Exactly. Qi Wu’s the only one in the village who knows woodworking. The others can only stand around and carry stuff.”

“You’ve got an idea, Scholar?” Village Chief Luo asked.

“My thought is, why not follow the example of the cities and take in refugees with useful skills? If someone has a trade, we can invite them and their families to settle here. We’ll help them clear land and build homes, register them as villagers, and in return, they’ll help us solve our problems.”

Grandpa Hu glanced around cautiously. “Our bamboo crossbows work just fine. Do we really need to switch to iron arrowheads?”

Earlier, Yan Huaiwen had mentioned restarting production of the bamboo crossbows and upgrading them by replacing the standard bamboo arrows with iron-tipped ones.

“I’ve checked the records left by Crouching Tiger. According to the documents, the Northern Rong often launch raids after the autumn harvest, in early winter. That’s when Guanzhou’s people have just stored their grain and supplies are plentiful. As the weather turns cold, the Rong wear more fur for warmth. Regular bamboo arrows can’t pierce through that. Only sharp iron tips can do real damage.”

The village elders understood and began to worry.

“But… forging iron weapons privately is a serious crime,” Village Chief Luo said, concerned.

“Guanzhou isn’t like the other provinces. Weapons can be kept by civilians, and iron isn’t as tightly controlled. There are also special allowances for those with hunter registration. Our village can certainly support a household or two with that status.”

Hunters were legally allowed to carry bows and weapons, including iron-tipped bolts.

“As for blacksmiths, there are still some among the common folk who aren’t officially registered. But finding them will take time and effort—it’s not something we can do overnight.”

Yan Huaiwen pulled out a blueprint and spread it out on the large stone.

“This is a design for a waterwheel. It takes a skilled carpenter to replicate it. A millstone can be connected below to save time and labor. If we build it entirely from wood, parts will need to be replaced every year. But if we use iron for a few key components, its lifespan can be greatly extended.”

“Carpenters, blacksmiths, stonemasons…” Old Man Song caught on quickly and came up with an idea. “There are plenty of refugees over in Gufeng. We’ve already sent a few of our boys there. Let’s have them keep an ear out. If they come across anyone with useful skills, bring them back to our village!”

The old men were all very excited.

If the Scholar was planning to bring back the bamboo crossbows, it meant this border town of Crouching Tiger wasn’t as secure as it seemed.

They’d already been mentally prepared for this, especially after those six Northern Rong had snuck into the village from the mountains.

That’s why they’d agreed so readily to building the watchtower, and again when the idea of surrounding the village with high walls came up. They kept agreeing, agreeing, and agreeing…

All for the sake of the village.

They wanted to use iron arrowheads. They wanted the waterwheel and the millstone. Anything that could make the village better, they would support wholeheartedly.

“Then tomorrow, let’s send word to Yan Er and the others,” Village Chief Luo said, making the final call.

The talent recruitment plan was officially set in motion.

“Did Tian You say when he’d be back?” Yan Huaiwen asked quietly.

Village Chief Luo answered honestly, “He didn’t give a specific time, but they’ll definitely be back before the Mid-Autumn Festival. We’re hosting a banquet, and those boys wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

Yan Huaiwen glanced at the sky, rolled up the blueprint, and made his way to the Liang Family’s home.

Liang Manshan was dressed in simple work clothes, plastering the courtyard walls.

The formula provided by the Yan Family had become the go-to choice for building houses in the village.

With stronger mortar available, who would still bother with mud and clay?

The Liang Family had always kept a low profile, never flaunting their wealth. But once they started building a house, the difference from other households became apparent.

They didn’t go all out like the Yan or Qi families, who built several brick houses at once and even hired professionals to construct them. But in terms of the sheer number of bricks purchased, only those two families ranked above them.

Old Master Liang was discreet, buying materials in batches. With only him and young Liang Fengnian at home, neither capable of heavy labor, they spent silver to hire strong men from the village to help.

They didn’t work full days, nor were meals provided. One day they dug the foundation, the next they built the courtyard wall, the day after that they laid the kitchen hearth…

It all seemed haphazard, like they were making it up as they went, hammering here and pounding there without a clear plan.

But as time passed, the main house of the Liang Family gradually took shape. Even the roof tiles had been bought, just waiting for Master Lu to find time to come and finish the roofing.

By the time Liang Manshan returned home, the only major task left was building the walls.

After watching how Master Lu and his crew worked, Liang Manshan gave it a try himself. And surprisingly, he wasn’t half bad at it.

Taking advantage of his role recording Work Points for the Young Scouts, Liang Fengnian had collected a good number of cement bricks that were a bit rough around the edges. They weren’t the prettiest, but compared to jagged stones, they were far easier to use.

The father and son had been hard at work since yesterday. One wall was already up, and only two remained. With their growing experience and seamless coordination, if they pushed a bit and worked into the evening, they could probably finish the rest today.

As soon as Yan Huaiwen stepped into the courtyard, Liang Manshan set down his tools and moved to wash his hands and greet him.

He knew Yan Huaiwen wouldn’t come without a reason.

But Yan waved him off. “No need to stop. Keep working while I talk.”

He briefly explained the watchtower project, the bamboo crossbows, and the plan to recruit skilled individuals to settle in Xiao’an Village.

Then he brought up the matter of Gufeng requesting assistance from Crouching Tiger.

“Magistrate Tian has the people’s welfare at heart. He’s hesitant only because he hasn’t decided who to send. You and I are both Household Registrars, have experience fleeing famine, and are familiar with Crouching Tiger’s epidemic response. If someone must go to Gufeng, it should be one of us.”

Liang Manshan expertly spread mortar, filling the gaps and scraping off the excess. Without pausing, he said, “I’ll go. After the festival, the grain tax will be due. That affects supplies from this winter through next spring. To provide relief, the County Granary is nearly empty. They’re counting on this batch of autumn grain to replenish it.

We’re new here, and it’s our first time handling something this important. We can’t afford to be taken advantage of. You’re meticulous, Brother Huaiwen, far more than I am. I’ll go to Gufeng. You stay and oversee the grain collection.”

Yan Huaiwen shook his head gently. “It’s not up to us. Magistrate Tian will decide. What I wanted to say is, Gufeng is not like Crouching Tiger. When we go, we speak more, do less.”

“What do you mean by ‘speak more, do less’?” Liang Manshan paused and turned to look at him.

“We can explain Crouching Tiger’s epidemic response in detail—that’s the ‘speak more.’ But when it comes to actual operations in Gufeng, we’re not their officials. We can assist, but we must not take responsibility—that’s the ‘do less.’”

Liang Manshan understood and frowned slightly. “Brother Huaiwen, isn’t that being a bit too cautious?”

“The outbreak in Gufeng is wider and more severe. It’s under intense scrutiny. With Crouching Tiger having already succeeded in containing its epidemic, the pressure on Lord Gufeng is even greater. We’re just there to support. We’re not there to make a name for ourselves.”

Liang Manshan fell silent.

Seeing his reaction, Yan Huaiwen sighed softly. “We’re just Household Registrars. Our job is to do our duty. If we overstep, the officials in Gufeng might start resenting us.”

That was the crux of it.

Both places were hit by plague. One had turned things around and claimed victory. The other was still mired in crisis, forced to seek help from a neighboring county.

It was a smart move, but also a bitter one.

Who wants to admit they’ve fallen behind?

Especially when Crouching Tiger is just a border town—sparse in population and poor in resources—nothing compared to Gufeng or Changping. Their government offices weren’t even fully staffed.

To be outdone by such a place, and then have its people come over to instruct them? That imbalance was hard to swallow.

If they went and worked tirelessly, doing everything, they’d only end up making the Gufeng officials look bad. That would breed resentment.

“Alright,” Liang Manshan said. “If the magistrate sends me, I’ll just bring my mouth. I’ll talk, but I won’t do.”

Yan Huaiwen chuckled. “You sound just like my Tian You.”

Liang Manshan laughed. “I get along well with Brother Huai’an. If he were the one going, I bet he’d say the same. We go to help out of goodwill, but have to worry about stealing their thunder. If they were really that capable, would Gufeng be in such a mess?

The epidemic response documents were sent over ages ago. Every word you wrote, Brother Huaiwen, was a gem. If they’d just followed them, they wouldn’t be in this situation now.

They didn’t trust Crouching Tiger’s advice. Now that they’ve run out of options, they come asking for help. Your caution is justified. It’s a reminder.”

Yan Huaiwen nodded. “I plan to make a quick trip to Crouching Tiger today. I want to get a sense of the magistrate’s intentions, so we’re not caught unprepared if things move quickly.”

Liang Manshan had worked with him for a while and had a decent impression of how he operated.

He knew the man was thorough and never fought a battle unprepared.

So he said, “Then I’ll go with you. It’s still early, and if we keep a good pace, we should be back around dinner.”

“I can go alone. Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner. You’d better get the courtyard wall sorted out, or the place will be a mess and we won’t be able to enjoy the holiday properly,” Yan Huaiwen replied.

Liang Manshan: …

That one stung a little. Messy? He thought it looked pretty tidy.

…

After leaving the Liang family, Yan Huaiwen returned home to hitch up the cart.

When Yan Yu heard he was heading to Crouching Tiger City, she wanted to tag along.

“Uncle, can I go with you? I want to buy some wrapping paper for mooncakes.”

She held up a mooncake she’d made with a mold, offering it to her uncle like a prized treasure.

Yan Huaiwen broke off a small piece, popped it into his mouth, and gave a slight nod.

“Not bad,” he praised.

It was red bean paste filling, just the right amount of sweetness.

No wonder Xiao Er was so eager to sell mooncakes. Madam Rong’s skills were truly impressive.

Seeing that her uncle didn’t object, Yan Yu knew she was in. She happily ran off to pack her little bag, bringing along all her precious belongings, and even got three taels of silver shards from her mother.

Yan Huaiwen watched her bounce back to her room with a smile. He hadn’t mentioned it, but he’d planned to take her along from the start.

Otherwise, driving the cart alone, he might not even find Crouching Tiger, let alone the way back.

As the ox cart rolled out of the courtyard, it caught the attention of the village elders lounging by the big rock.

They came over to ask what was going on.

Yan Huaiwen explained he was heading to Crouching Tiger and would be back the same day. The elders relaxed and started chatting with him about the plans for tomorrow.

Listening from the side, Yan Yu quickly pieced together that they were going to start building the watchtower tomorrow. The elders had practically drafted every able-bodied man left in the village to chop wood, dig clay, and mix materials to make enough cement bricks for the expanded central watchtower before the holiday.

Yan Yu: …

Once they left the village, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Uncle, why are we expanding the watchtower again?”

By her calculations, the previous size was already sufficient. Making it bigger would just waste labor and materials.

Yan Huaiwen explained that they were adding a pulley system to make transport easier.

“We’ll store the bamboo crossbows in the cellar. When needed, we can haul them up quickly with a basket. Heh, it can carry people too, and saves the trouble of climbing stairs.”

The moment Xiao Er heard that, she instantly saw the benefits. Yan Huaiwen, now in high spirits, handed her the blueprint for the waterwheel.

“Take a look. Can you understand it?”

“Wow!” Yan Yu’s eyes lit up. Thankfully, she hadn’t forgotten to pull her dad in as a shield. “Is this the waterwheel Dad talked about? You put it in the river, and the current makes it turn. Dad said waterwheels are super useful—they can irrigate fields and even replace animals for grinding!”

Yan Huaiwen’s lips curved in a smile. Tian You was absolutely right.

Waterwheels were indeed a great boon for farming households.

But Yan Yu’s excitement soon faded. She sighed in disappointment. “Too bad Uncle Qi Wu probably can’t make one. Uncle, are there any good carpenters in Crouching Tiger City? If someone there can build a waterwheel, we should hire them to come to the village and make one for us.”

Thinking of hiring someone, she did a quick mental check of their finances—and frowned. Things were tight.

“Maybe we should wait a bit. We don’t have that much money right now, and we still need to buy grain for the winter.”

“All the skilled carpenters in Crouching Tiger have been hired by Magistrate Tian to work on the border defenses. If we want to find someone, we’ll have to look elsewhere,” Yan Huaiwen said.

“Then… Gufeng! That’s it. Last time I went there with Dad, there were tons of refugees. I bet there are skilled workers among them. Once the epidemic passes, we can invite some of them to help out. That’ll save us a lot of copper.”

Yan Yu beamed. “Even the less skilled ones are useful. The whole village is like our house—bare and empty. How can Uncle Qi Wu make all the furniture for everyone by himself?

I want a heated bed. No, five heated beds! And the study needs a cabinet for books, and a big table for reading and writing. Using that little table on the kang all the time is so uncomfortable. Big Brother and Big Sis Daya are always sore and tired.

If we could find someone who knows how to build houses too, they could work with Master Lu and the others. Wouldn’t our watchtower go up in no time?”

Maybe it was the blue sky, or the gentle breeze, but Yan Yu was in a great mood, swaying happily with the ox cart.

The little chatterbox was back in full force, rambling on and on without pause.

(End of Chapter)